St. Paul daily globe., 1887-09-05

the performance or nonperformance of
which the people have an interest. 1t is
not lawful to remove good man who is
in every way competent in the discharge
of his public duties; but, upon the re-
moval OF such man without good
cause-and there may be good cause
even for such removal-the officer MAX
ing the removal should be condemned"
Concerning the right of the commission
to make Investigations of the kind con-
Quoted by Commissioners Edgerton and
Lyman at Chicago. against the right
and policy of which Commissioner
Edgertoh makes objection, the opinion
says that such investigations result in
the good of the service; in the correction
OF wrong methods and of bad methods,
and sometimes in the disclosure of eva
SlonS and of violations of both the law
and the rules. In conclusion, the COM
mission
EXPRESSED IT'S DISSENT
from Commissioner Edgerton's censure
of civil service reform leagues and asso-
Citations, and particularly of the civil
service reform league of Chicago, and
says its observation has discovered no
purpose of any of them to antagoniZe
the administration or to in any way en-
barrass it in the enforcement of the
civil service law and rules. On the
contrary, all such leagues and as
sOciatlOnS have shown a most earnest
desire to support the commission in the
discharge of it's duties. Commissioner
EdgertOn, in his report to the commits
sion, states that he was opposed to the
investigation because, in his opinion,
the charges which had been made were
not of that substantial and definite char
acter which could give the commission
ri fn nnf hn
plant or impose upon it any duty of in
veStigation under the civil service act
and rules. When Mr.. Seeberger, in his
reply to Mr.. WebSter's complaint, de-
MED the charges made against him, and
claimed that he requested the resigna-
tiOn of MIR. Webster for reasons amply
strong, and that he acted in strict con-
fOrmity with the civil service law, he
distinctly denied that the request for
the resignation was prompted for polit-
ical reasons. With this answer, says
Commissioner Edgerton, the investiga-
ton should have stopped, for there was
NOTHING LEFT
for the commission to do. Continuing,
he says: "The papers in the case were
sent to the president by the Civil Ser
vice Reform league of Chicago and not
directly to the commission, and it was
apparent upon the face of these papers
that the charges were not only inSuffi-
cient, but were melted and encouraged
by the league for two purposes: To
make them basis for political parti-
san attack upon the present administra-
ton, and by so doing to bring promi-
nently forward as active civil service
refermers certain persons who might
otherwise remain unknown. Mr.. Web
ster states that he was removed OF CO.
creed tO rpCi or, for l,OIitinal ,aacopc ond
this is all the charge there is against
Mr.. Seeberger that deserves any cOnsid-
Grafton whatever. This charge Mr.. See
berger emphatically denies. Webster
was not removed. He resigned. When
MIR. Webster resigned he abandoned all
legal claim to his position, and, without
claim or right, why should
he or the Chicago Reform
league seek the intervention of
the president or an investigation by the
commission unless for partisan polit-
ical reason? he sought the aid and
sympathy of this reform league not for
restoration to office, but for that tenn
porary newspaper prominence which
might make more popular the purposes
OF both, which purposes were to an
tagonize and discredit Democratic adj
mlniStratlOn. The league might possibly
demonstrate its pretended power and
usefulness by an attempt to find
SOME LEGAL REDRESS
for such complainants as Mr.. Webster,
if any could be found to exist. But in
these cases of removal from office
restoration is not sought through the
civil service commission, for it is known
to be poWerleSS to effect it; but the pur-
pose Of complaint is to fasten upon a
Democratic administration some
charge of violation, if not
the letter, then of the spirit
of the laws, violations which are
rarely, if ever, sought for during Re-
publican administration, as whatever it
might do would be called faithful OBJ
servance of the law. The leagues and
associations which are often too essen
TALLY political in their character and
purposes, and not composed entirely of
consistent reformerS, as well as the in
dlvldual pretenderS to devotion to the
public interest as civil service reform
ers, should cOncede to the president and
to his party some honesty of purpose,
and should believe that, as far as in his
power, he will see that the civil service
law and the rules made by himself are
faithfully executed. So long as unreas-
Oning hostility to the administration and
persistent denunciatiOn are called Vigi-
lance and investigation in the cause of
HONEST GOVERNMENTS
and civil service reform, so long will it
be known that neither civil service re-
form or honest government are the real
subjects of deep concern, but that greed
for office and party success are the main
spring to action, and the defeat of the
present Democratic administration the
highest purpose, Mr.. Edgerton reas-
serts his position taken in the case of
Postmaster Harrity, of Philadelphia,
that reasons should not be exacted of
superiors for the dismissal of subordi-
mates: He says: "Under the civil
service law clerkship is in one sense
condition of perpetual probation. 1t
means trial, and that failure ON trial
means dismissal. After regular ap-
pointment there is state of continued
trial in the effort and the hope to 60
higher in the public service. Whoever
from any cause ceases to grow begins to
rot, and hence men worknto grow better,
when to fail is to invite dismissals and
to make them necessary. Commissioner
Edgerton, in conclusion, says that, in
his opinion, Collector Seeberger has not
been guilty of any violations of any of
the rules or of any of the provisions of
the civil service act.
More Doctors Than Saloons.